This invention relates to a composition for fixing and setting curls in hair. More particularly, the invention relates to clear mixtures of polydiorganosiloxane and cationic organic polymer components in a hair fixative formulation which is applied to hair without subsequent rinsing to provide combable and long-lasting hair styles.
Many popular hair styles require a means to hold the hair in a desired configuration. Several procedures are commonly used for setting hair styles at home and in beauty salons including, for example, the winding of wetted hair around curlers or rods followed by drying; the winding of moist hair around a hot curling iron; and the blow dring of wet hair while rolling the hair around a hand held brush. It is generally recognized that the physical and chemical action of water plays a significant role in the process of setting hair. When hair is wetted, hydrogen bonds in the keratin of hair are broken. Then when hair is shaped using curlers, iron, or brush and dried, hydrogen bonds are reformed at locations different from the previous ones and the hair style is thus set.
When hair is set by the use of water alone, the hair style gradually loses its shape through the absorption of atmospheric moisture and consequent rearrangement of the hydrogen bonds. A considerable number of hair setting compositions have been suggested to improve the durability of hair styles and especially to extend the time period that a set is retained in hair. Such compositions range from the permanent wave types which operate chemically by breaking and reforming disulfide linkages in the hair protein to preparations which provide a thin layer of film forming resin on the hair which tends to bond hair fibers together thereby maintaining a prearranged shape.
Generally, the film forming resin preparations have been composed of water or alcohol solutions of anionic polymers such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinylpyrrolidonevinylacetate copolymers, polymethacrylate resins, ethyl and butyl monoesters of polymethylvinyl ether and maleic acid, or carboxylated polyvinylacetate copolymers.
Such film forming resins have been used in several different ways. Finishing sprays, for example, are applied as a fine spray (aerosol or pump system) after the hair is styled and dry. Finishing sprays extend the life of a set by providing welds between hair fibers which maintain hold even after moisture has reduced or eliminated hold derived from hydrogen bonds.
In contrast to finishing sprays, presetting preparations are applied to hair prior to shaping and drying. After drying, the hair is manipulated further with the dry resin film already on the hair in order to form the final style. Hold provided by hair fiber welds is ineffective with presetting preparations because the postdrying manipulation generally breaks up the welds. Consequently, a presetting preparation should envelope or impregnate each individual hair fiber with a thin film of resin which, while not binding to other hair fibers, will nevertheless provide the fiber with a longer lasting memory of the imposed set.
When presetting preparations containing conventional resins are used to prolong set memory, they often make the hair objectionably stiff or sticky. In addition the resin tends to produce flaky or linty particles on the hair as the film breaks up during combing or brushing. The sticky and stiff character of the resin films also makes the coated hair difficult to comb or brush and may result in damaging or breaking hairs during such operations.
Organic cationic compounds and polymers such as stearyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride, quaternary nitrogen derivatives of cellulose ethers, and homopolymers and copolymers of dimethyldiallylammonium chloride are well known for use in hair conditioning formulations. Hair conditioners facilitate combing out hair and impart softness and suppleness to the hair. Cationic polymers are further known in the art for their substantivity which enables them to become fixed to hair and to remain on hair. Taking advantage of this substantivity, hair conditioning formulations are generally applied to wet hair which is subsequently rinsed before drying so that more uniform and thinner films of components are left on the hair. In comparison to the anionic polymers, conventional cationics generally show little effect in facilitating the setting of hair styles or providing retention of hair sets over extended periods.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide improved presetting preparations that facilitate the setting of hair styles; prolong the set memory of hair without making the hair unnaturally stiff or sticky; and provide flexible hold for hair so that it can be combed after setting without substantial loss of set memory. It is a further purpose to provide aesthetically superior preparations which are clear and transparent instead of milky white and opaque.
Todd et al. in "Silicones Provide Real Benefits for Aerosol Cosmetics," American Perfumer and Cosmetics, October, 1971, describe the effect of several types of silicones including dimethyl silicones ("dimethicones" by CTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary nomenclature) used as a modifier for conventional hair fixative resins for hair spray preparations. Maeder in U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,281, June 21, 1966, describes a novel hair fixative resin for use in aerosol hair treatments. The resin contains N,N-dialkylamino substituents which provided water solubility when neutralized with an acid. Maeder further teaches that an antifoam silicone oil is combined with the resin in aerosol hair preparations.
Starch in "Silicones in Hair Care Products," Drug and Cosmetic Industry, June 1984, discloses that dimethicone is used in a few commercial conditioners and hair sprays, but because of its tendency to form very hydrophobic films, its use in hair care products is limited. Starch further teaches that silicones which are modified or adapted by substituting some of the methyl groups on silicon by other more hydrophilic groups such as polyoxyalkylene or aminoalkyl groups have a greater variety of applications in hair care products.
Matsunaga et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,037, Jan. 18, 1983, describe a variety of hair treatment cosmetics containing cationic keratin derivatives. Specifically, a hair conditioner formulation is illustrated which consists of 1 percent cationic keratin and 3 percent dimethyl polysiloxane in water. Matsunaga et al. show that after the conditioner is applied, the hair is rinsed in running water before drying. In contrast, for using cationic keratin in presetting hair fixative formulations, Matsunaga et al. teach a composition which consists of 1 percent cationic keratin, 10 percent ethanol, 0.5 percent of a polyoxyalkylene substituted silicone, 0.1 percent perfume, and the rest water.
Cornwall et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,518, May 6, 1986, teach a hair setting method in which aminoalkyl substituted polydiorganosiloxane is applied to the hair with or without subsequent rinsing prior to setting. It is further taught that a quaternary nitrogen containing organic conditioner such as a quaternary nitrogen derivative of a cellulose ether may be combined in equal proportions with the aminoalkyl substituted polydiorganosiloxane for use in the hair setting method.
Homan et al. in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 791,047 filed Oct. 24, 1985, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, teach hair fixative preparations for leave-on application to hair prior to setting. The preparations contain a blend of cationic organic polymer and carboxyalkyl substituted polydimethylsiloxane. Homan et al. report that these preparations form a flexible film on the hair which holds desired shapes during combing without formint flaky or linty particles. It is further reported that the hold lasts even under humid conditions.
Gee in European Patent Application No. 138,192, published Apr. 24, 1985, describes a method of preparing microemulsions of selected polyorganosiloxanes. Gee proposes a number of uses for the microemulsions including personal care products such as hand and face lotions, creams, shampoos, hair rinses and conditioners, shaving lotions and creams. The polydiorganosiloxanes emulsified by Gee are primarily substituted by aminoalkyl or carboxyalkyl groups to facilitate the emulsification. However, Gee also teaches that certain hydroxy terminated polydimethylsiloxanes may be emulsified if the hydroxy groups provide sufficient polarity to the molecules.
However, none of the above references seem to suggest combining cationic organic resins with microemulsions of unsubstituted polydimethylsiloxanes in a hair fixative formulation for application to hair prior to setting and without subsequent rinsing.